The Ferrari 488 Is Faster Than You Ever Imagined

Technically, the California T is the cheapest new Ferrari you can buy, but those looking for a thrill know that the proper Ferrari experience starts at the 488's level. Although this car will never be as iconic as the 458 became after replacing the 430, with 661 horsepower and 561 ft.-lb. of torque from the factory, it packs a punch like no other base car.

When Ferrari came up with the 458 Speciale, people realized it represents the end of naturally-aspirated V8s from the brand. Now, Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne says all Ferraris will be hybrid starting from 2019, which ultimately makes the 488 Berlinettas one of the last old school Ferraris to leave the gates of Maranello.

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After getting the Speciale's dampers and steering as well as the brakes off the LaFerrari, it's unsurprising that a car with more power and all the twin-turbo torque above 3000 revs became significantly faster than any of its predecessors. What's shocking though is that around a tight circuit like Anglesey, Ferrari's entry-level mid-engined car is exactly as fast as a McLaren 675LT. That's so impressive, it almost sounds fishy.

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Since that special edition McLaren is so close to the P1 in performance, don't be shocked if the 488 Speciale turns out to be LaFerrari fast at low downforce tracks.